FreeBSD Version Release numbers

[Mark Valentine]

> From: Doug Barton <DougB at freebsd.org>
> Date: Tue 10 Jun, 2003
> Subject: Re: FreeBSD Version Release numbers

> On Tue, 10 Jun 2003, Mark Valentine wrote:
> > I may just be wierd, but I believe that a 5.0 release should be considered
> > "stable" in that there should be no significant issues to be worked out;
> > any problems that surface AFTER the release (despite best effort testing)
> > should be fixable with a patch release (e.g. 5.0.1).
> 
> You're not only weird, you're seriously out of touch with general
> software development models, and FreeBSD history.

I'm very sorry to say you couldn't be more wrong on both counts.   I only
admit to the weird bit; I have this old-fashioned view that released software
should work, and a long history of making it so.  And as a FreeBSD follower
since 386BSD+patchkit, I've adopted many of the good bits of the FreeBSD
development model (and others) to help me do it!

Later in my message I actually agreed with what the FreeBSD release team has
done...  I'm a strong proponent of incremental development and evolutionary
delivery, and of avoiding extended major release cycles and long-lived
development branches where possible, but you have to balance it all with
meeting real world needs.

		Cheers,

		Mark.

-- 
"Tigers will do ANYTHING for a tuna fish sandwich."
"We're kind of stupid that way."   *munch* *munch*
  -- <http://www.calvinandhobbes.com>